


We spent our youth on the same boy

by springfield0773



Category: DCeased (DC Comics)
Genre: Cute, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Love Confessions, M/M, Sad and Happy, Secret Crush, Unrequited Crush, no beta we die like robin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:21:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26898115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/springfield0773/pseuds/springfield0773
Summary: 3 years after the event of the anti-life equation apocalypse that pushed them away on a long journey in space in hope to find a new home, the young Justice League trio find themselve in a situation that may change their dynamics forever. But whether it is for better or worse, who could tell?
Relationships: (One-sided) Cassie Sandsmark/Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne/Diana Prince (mentioned), Cassie Sandsmark & Damian Wayne, Clark Kent/Lois Lane (mentioned), Jonathan Kent/Damian Wayne, Jonathan Samuel Kent & Cassie Sandsmark
Comments: 4
Kudos: 62





	We spent our youth on the same boy

“Are you really fine with me asking him out?”

In all honesty, Jon hadn’t expected to be dragged out of his mind right into the problem that had been occupying it from the start. He must have let it show more than he had wanted to since his previous short exchange with Cassie, the one about the Wonder’s finally confronting her feeling to Damian, their mutual crush, in the midst of other hero bussiness relating conversations. They were going on their daily patron between ships, looking for anyone that could use some help or those that for some reasons, want to disturb the little peace they have in their temporary homes.

It has been 3 years since the day they had to leave Earth and head out into the unidentified space, abandoning all that they used to cherish behind at the mercy of the Anti-life equation virus. Everyone lost loved ones of their own but some was lucky enough to keep some with them to the potential new world. Jon couldn’t imagine what would their life turned into had it not been one of their game nights and Damian had stayed at the manor instead, where he would have possibly turned into a zombie like his father and brothers. They did lose his dad though, and it still stings. For Jon, he lost his father, he and Damian both did.

The refugees traveled one world to another, to rest and in hope to find the place they could finally call home. But it wasn’t easy, as expected. Though thanks to yet another Batman’s contigency plan, they were able to set out for a specific journey since apparently the man had foreseen even this. The only problem left is to survive on the way. Because even when Batman’s instruction was incredibly detailed in the specifications of each planet they would come across, god knows how the man get these information, it said little about the aggressive accompanions they would made while getting there. This has been their thirty-something-th stop to refuel and repair on the map. The planet was one in a smaller solar system than they used to have, with a smaller sun, but the landscape and environment was very much like that on Earth, with the exception of the weekly magnetic storm that would bring all their attempts at constructing electricity to their demise even before they were finished. But at least the thunder that usually goes with it was perfect to charge their ships with power enough for years ahead.

Back to Cassie’s question, Jon found his words stuck in his throat. Of course he wasn’t fine with that, so much that his enhanced vision had been looking nowhere but the distant space ahead, his mind racing with the only concern that she would succeed. But for the life of his, the indefinite pause answered for him, as the Wonder eventually continued.

“We’ve dragged this on long enough Jon. We’re both yearning for him but think too much of each other to actually move forward. Well, I’m putting an end to that now, one of us have to.”

“I… I completely understand. Just do what you have to do.” 

“I hope whatever outcome it will be, we will still stay friends.”

“Of course we will, Cassie. You’re one of my best friends. We wouldn’t part just because we happen to share a crush on a boy.” Jon offered the best encourage smile he could manage and squeezed the other’s hand tight. “I’d be happy for the both of you if he agree to going out with you.” He said, hoping he didn’t show as much a liar as he was feeling then, but failed miserably.

“You and I both know that won’t be **true**.” But she didn’t retreat her hand, instead returned the hold. “I’m nervous.”

“It’d be wrong if you weren’t.” _‘You’re an amazing girl, the best of friends, the most heroic of heroes. It’ll be fine.’_ Was what he wanted to said, but Jon couldn’t bring himself to.

“I’ve played the scene out in my head so many times. Rehearsing what I will say to him even till now, but it all comes down to just a yes or no isn’t it?”

Cassie wasn’t looking at him anymore, as if she was whispering to herself. Their conversation came to a rest at that, and the both of them returned to their occupying minds.

Late into the night, as determined to the ships’s standard time, they met up with Damian at the control headquarter, finding the Bat himself was just a sleepless night away from dropping dead at the spot. The only thing that was keeping him together was probably those empty plastic cups on the monitor board from which Jon could scent a distinct smell of black coffee.

“Good work per usual. Nothing out of order I hope?” He was cowl down, gloves off and had eyes like panda. The metas was strongly reminded of a certain other Robin who had claimed his blood was nothing but caffein.

“Yeah, nothing too serious until **you** faint face down on the floor with the amount of sleep you’re getting.” Cassie was already stomping over to pull Damian’s chair away from the screens, obviously too fed up to hear another ‘I’ll sleep right when I’m done with this part’ bullshit the Bat had told them every nights before, as was Jon.

“Cassie’s right. I’m not letting you die of **overworking** after we survived the **zombie apocalypse**. You’re going back to our cabin **now**.”

“The charging process is too important to rest on. One wrong move and we’ll have **billions of megawatts** blowing us off. I promise I’ll sleep after we take of- **Cassie put me down!!** ”

“We’re only leaving in at least 2 more weeks!” The Wonder said, giving little care to the struggling Bat in her hold. “There’re others who can take your shift, just stop being a worry whack and give it to them.” They nodded in Green Arrow’s direction, who was observing the trio with an amusing look on his face. He had surely been trying to pry Damian off the computer too but apparently failed.

“I’ll take care of things from here on little Bat, go get some rest or the ghost of your father will start to haunt me.” With that he waved them off and pretended like he didn’t see the angry glare that replied.

Back at the Super sons’s shared cabin, the 2 metas soon found themselves facing a very tired and fumming slightly petite version of Batman sitting on the bed Cassie had placed him. His fight had been weak, considering his muscles probably gave up despite his stubborn will.

“This is **unneccessary**. I’m completely fine on my own.”

“Damian I have super hearing, and by the sound of your heart I can tell you’re only a sip of coffee away from having a heart attack at just 21.”

“Just take a nap. I promise we’ll even wake you up early tomorrow and let you go back to working yourself to death.” Cassie said as she approached the bed and push Damian down by the shoulders. “Even Jon and I take rest, Damian. You’re only **human**. Do it for my sake, okay? I need you to be sobber when I tell you something important tomorrow.” It was like something stabbed through the S on his chest as Jon just stood there, not knowing how or when to come in between them.

“If it’s something important you’re supposed to tell me now.” Damian tried to sit up, worry painted across his exhausted face.

“No… No it’s not something like that. It’s… personal.” His super vision could make out even in the dark the faint crimson that her cheek turned into. Cassie really likes Damian, doesn’t she, Jon thought bitterly.

“…Fine. I guess I could use some sleep…” Already his heavy eyelids shut themselves as if they had been waiting ages to. In a matter of seconds Damian’s breathe was already even out and the Bat soon was fast as sleep.

“He always feels like he has to put up a strong front for the sake of others.” Carrie said quietly as she caressed a side of Damian’s sleeping face. “We all lost so much… maybe it really does feel better when he doesn’t look so vulnerable like this. I really don’t want to know what would have become of me had he not been there when Wonder Woman and the Titans were gone…”

 _‘You would have been better than I would have.’_ Jon thought to himself, feeling the venom in his words building from the pit of his stomach. ‘ _He has meant so much more to me since a long time ago, years before you even got to know him.’_ Cassie was right, Jon was not going to be happy for her if she really made it. Jon was counting to the second for the Wonder to leave Damian’s bed side, so he could be there instead.

“It’s late, you should get some rest too.”

“Okay.” Cassie said as she gave one last lingering look at Damian, then turned to Jon. “Take care of him?”

**“Always.”**

The Super has always been a terrible liar. Damian had said he worn his heart on the sleeves. So he had been trying to keep his speech short since their talk, but even with just one word he let his emotion out clearer than glasses. It came out before he realized it, but he didn’t really regret it.

“… Goodnight Jon.” She had expected this. She would have been the same too if Jon ever set out to confessing to Damian first, that was why she took the lead. Sincerely Cassie trusted that they would still remain friends despite whoever that Damian choses between them, if he would want to, but their relationship would not stay the same, at least until the other move on. And she hoped that wouldn’t fall on her fate.

Once Cassie was gone and her footsteps were far away enough, Jon finally let out a defeated loudsy sigh he had been holding in. Which the flick of hand he dropped the cape where he stood and climbed to the bed with Damian, proceeding to do the same to the smaller’s uniform. It wasn’t the first night they slept as Batman and Superman together in their cramped bed. A single luck in the midst of all the inconvenience that came with their situation, in Jon’s opinion, due to the lack of space on their ships the Super sons had to make due with an all-in-one cabin that was no bigger than his last bedroom on Earth. He had never been a man of materials, so all he saw was just a chance to stay closer to Damian than anyone else. Their bed was so small the Bat didn’t even mind if they spooned, legs tangled in each other seeking for warmth in the cold space, since heater wasn’t an option as they had to save energy. At some point the Super believed Damian had seen him as his personal heater, thanks to his physiology that differs him little from a walking solar reactor. He didn’t mind the title, as long as he gets to hold his crush in his arms every night or sometimes get held back.

Tonight too, as soon as the his cape was off Damian turned around, hands stumbled in search for the familiar warmth of Jon, his eyes shut still. The taller chuckled and moved in close to wrap himself back around Damian, playing the big spoon for the night. As they cuddled under their blue navy blanket, comfort sneaked in fast and there was nothing more pleasurable either of them could have ask for.

But Jon’s mind was the furthest away from peace. His hand was stroking on Damian’s hair, wondering if this night would be the last he ever get to touch the smaller like this again. What would Damian’s reaction be like when Cassie confesses her feeling to him tomorrow? Would he blush? Would he say yes? Would he move in with Cassie afterward and leave Jon alone in this tiny cabin? Those were the questions that ran through his head like some annoying obssessing compulsive thoughts he couldn’t get rid of.

“I wish tomorrow will never come…”

“Is something bothering you, Buttercup?” A tired and sleepy voice pull him out of his thoughts. It was Damian talking softly to his chest, but he still kept his eyes close.

“Sorry, did I wake you?” Jon replied with the same amount of tenderness, his hand however stopped in its track in fear that it might have been what keeping Damian up.

“No… keep going, it’s pleasant.” The smaller was quick to fix him on that, he took a deep breathe, in and out, waiting for Jon’s fingers to get back to doodling on his scape, then carried on. “It’s just the coffee. I might have abused it a little, and now the caffein is backfiring on me…”

“I told you too much of those things can not be good. And did you listen?”

“Hmmm…” Damian hummed, feeling not even a bit in the mood to talk back but rather just enjoying having Jon all over him while his drowsy mind was fighting a losing battle to the sleepiness. “So what made the Symbol of Hope suddenly hate tomorrow?”

“… Damian, how do you feel about Cassie?”

“I asked you first, dummy.”

“Just answer the question, please.”

“Hmm…” Damian hummed again and burried his nose further into Jon’s chest, his arms moved to wrap his kryptonian heater tighter. “Cassie’s a good girl. She’s responsible, strong, kind… maybe a little hot headed, still not as good as Diana, but she will be… soon…”

“Do you like her?”

“Of course I like her. I wouldn’t be friend with her if I didn’t. You’re being weird today, did you guys fight?”

“No… no… I didn’t mean that ‘like’. I meant the… _‘like’_ ‘like’.”

“What the heck is a ‘like’ ‘like’? Your vocabulary is failing Corncob.”

“You know… the ‘like’ my dad had for my mom… and yours had for miss Diana…”

At that, Damian looked up at him with a confused face, or it was just his eyes having trouble opening so they ended up in a wince.

“… Jonathan, do you ‘like’ ‘like’ Cassie or something? How is this the first time I’ve heard of this?”

“ **No!** Rao no, I’m… I’m… ehhh…” _‘I’m gay, for you.’_ Damian had always been the only crush for him, so he guessed that was it, his sexuality.

“Then what’s this all about? You’re being dubious, just out with it.” For some reasons it was like Damian lost his previous sudden interest as he ducked his head under Jon’s chin again, dragging his words along restlessly like he was too lazy to even talk.

“… What do you think about me?”

“Another question?”

“Sorry.”

“ **Tt**. Fine. I think you’re more of an idiot than everyone give you credit for. You abuse your superspeed so much that you don’t stop to think and always rush to punch the next thing. Your love for noodles is ridiculous, as well as your obsession with making me watch stupid dramas then cry like a Superbaby. You wear your shirt inside out once and when I told you, you just _‘eh’_ -ed and carried on for the whole day. You see more good in a person than they can have and are too forgiving.

But I suppose that why you knew but still were willing to look pass my past and accept me. You like to see what make a person rather than what they look like, you adore the concept of love in every way it presents. And you’re always the first to rush yourself out for the sake of others.

It wasn’t always on my mind at first but from time to time I started to think very highly of you. Now are your satisfied?”

Satisfaction doesn’t even begin to cover what was making Jon’s heart pounding in his chest like he had been running a thousand time the Olympics marathon race. It was the caffein messing with his head, Jon told himself, that was making Damian so open and honest, even if he was with Jon. But the amount of thought the other had for him, it was just too endearing and hard to not take pride in.

“You know, one might even say that you ‘like’ like me.” He halfully joked, feeling his nose blowing up with praises as he snuck himself closer to the smaller and shut his eyes in contentedness.

“… Maybe I do.” And that brought them wide open again.

“What?”

“Dude, **you’re** the one who wanted me to sleep…” Damian really couldn’t fight off the lure of the sleep anymore, his mind was slipping fast, but Jon was persistent as always.

“I know, just… did you really mean it?”

There was only some meaningless grumbling answered, so he tried again by pulling away to pat on Damian’s cheek lightly, an act that immediately earned him a trademark scowl of the Bat as his heat source was taken away from him.

“Come on Damian, stay with me just a bit more.”

“… I swear to whatever god you alien worship I’m going to put a **green knife** between your **groin**.” The smaller threatened and tried to close their gap again.

For a solid second Jon was smart enough to seriously debated whether he should take that risk or not. But his better mind usually has a smaller voice, so he turned Damian’s face up till their eyes met somehow, as the shorter frowned at him with tiring half lit ones, then he took a gulp that downed every hesitation thoughts he was having and asked.

“Do you… really mean it?”

“Just let me grab my kryptonite blade-”

“No, the thing you said before that!

… Do you really feel that way about me?”

In the few minutes followed that felt like hours, Jon stayed in silence nervously as he stared at Damian who was just staring back at him with this dazed look in his eyes. As the stillness of the dark really made its presence tonight, he could hear it louder and louder, the heartbeat of himself that was going wild and another one, not losing far behind in its speed. It was Damian’s heart that was also beating out of place, skipping here and there and the smaller’s cheeks flustered with a faint pink. Damian was looking at him the way lovers do in those cheesy dramas Jon couldn’t seem to get enough of.

All the signs were there to make up for the lack of a verbal answer. There was a triump raising in his stomach, a sense of gratification filling him up gradually. But he still needed to hear Damian say it, the words he had dreamed for all these times.

“Damian, do you ‘like like’ me?”

“… I **love** you, Jon.”

_‘Love’_

Jon had always thought that, if he was ever to be that lucky and if they would ever end up together it’d be him who was to say that word first, but now, Damian beat him to it. And it was the most victorious lost he had ever felt.

He knew he was making an idiotic face by the relieving look that replaced Damian’s previous hesitating one.

“I suppose you don’t mind me dropping **the word** right at the start like that.” Damian’s expression was gentle, tired, but happy with a smile though wasn’t as wide as Jon’s, still rare to be found on his usual stuck up face.

“ **No! I love it.** I love **you** too, Dami. Rao I’m so happy right now I could die.”

“Any higher and your voice will be a match to Dinah’s you idiot.” He giggled and it was the most beautiful sound Jon had heard in a while. Then there came a long yawn that followed as the almost forgotten sleepiness made its stand again, his eyes fell at rest but the Bat continued. “… With so much lost in just a span of a few days… I thought I should tell people what I feel about them more often…

I love my father, my siblings, Richard, Jason, Timothy, Duke and Cassandra so much, but I didn’t tell them, and now I **will always regret** it.” His voice gradually turned to whispering, only to his and Jon’s superhearing to catch.

“I’ve loved you for such a long time…” He almost didn’t finish it when the slumber finally got hold of the Bat completely. It was complete silence again for a normal person’s ears and just the sound of their joint breath and heartbeats for Jon’s. Outside small window of their cabin the raging thunder storm was blocking all source of light from the star, letting gentle darkness surrounded them like a some sort of a blanket. Jon focused his hearing to just the sound of them, and it was like time and space didn’t matter anymore, if only they could just stay like that, forget about the losts, the duties, the rough days waiting ahead.

“I’ve also loved you for so long... ” At some point the lighting reflected for a flick second on his cheek, but it was quickly swallowed into the other’s raven hair. The restlessness also caught up with him too and he curled more around Damian, face pressing lightly on the top of his head and let the smaller’s scent fill his nosestrills.

* * *

“I can’t **believe** **you** went behind my back like **that.** ” Cassie said finally when they were patrolling the next day, still pouting and fumming after her failed confession to Damian an hour ago. It was a standard and polite confrontation, ended with the Wonder ran looking for any troublemaker to punch the pain of rejection away in tears, followed soon by Jon who had been listening on from the start.

“Technically I didn’t… He confessed to me first.” Now that was insensitive, but he just couldn’t help the happiness he had been feeling since waking up this morning to recall the night before.

“You’re **killing** me. **Both of you** are!” And she went full mode crying out loud as she stopped on one of the higher part of the ship. The Wonder pulled her kneels up to her chest and cried into them, and Jon couldn’t find himself the best person to comfort her, so he just sat on a side and listened to her sobbing.

After a while, Cassie eventually stopped and just dazed out to nothing in front of them. If they were on Earth it could have been a sunset, but here it was just the huge mechanic wall. The storm was still raging outside, maybe when it stops they could come out and see the sun goes down, hoping that it would be like home’s.

“I guess I sort of saw this coming.” Cassie said without averting her eyes. “He nearly always wears that cowl, but when he didn’t I saw the way he looked at **you** …”

Jon still wasn’t sure what he should say then.

“But I liked him so much and I don’t have x ray vision reminding me of that everytime I stare at him. I dismissed it, when I should just start moving on…”

“Cassie…”

“No, shut up. I won’t be patronized by **you** of all people.” Just when she thought she had cried enough, the tears poured out again, heavy fat drops came out and broke when they hit the surface they were sitting on. The scene was making Jon feel even more guilty by the second, because he could have been in her shoe too.

“You have every right to hate me.”

“What? I **don’t** hate you.” At his remark Cassie wiped her face violently in hope to stop the streams, after a few more sniffs and blows of nose she finally said, this time facing Jon directly with a calmer look in her red swollen eyes.

“I told you whatever outcome it was going to be, we would stay friends. I’m heartbroken for now but I will move on.” And her hand found that of Jon as she continued. “I’m happy for the both of you, Jon. I really am. And it’s **not** a lie. You are my best friends, your happiness is my happiness too.”

Now, it was his turn to feel like crying. He squeezed Cassie’s hand in his and looked down trying not to be the Superbaby Damian teased him of.

“Damn, how are you still so cool when you’re crying?”

“You should know that under any condition I will always be the coolest one in the trio.

… Take care of him for me?”

And this one, Jon meant what he said with his whole being.

**“Always.”**

_End._

**Author's Note:**

> I just realized I stole the 'Always' from Harry Potter!?


End file.
